1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved surface safe, aqueous, liquid hard surface cleaner comprising a nonionic surfactant, or combination of nonionic and anionic surfactants, a water soluble abrasive, namely, borax pentahydrate, in an amount which takes at least a portion of the abrasive out of solution, and water.
2. Brief Statement of the Related Art
Abrasive cleansers have long been in commercial use. These are typically dry powders incorporating silica sand and a source of hypochlorite. However, while these types of cleaners can effectively clean rough surfaces, such as concrete, their use is contraindicated on shiny or smooth surfaces, such as tiles or composite hard surfaces, such as ceramic, Formica.RTM. or Corian.RTM., which can be dulled with use. There have been some successful attempts at mitigating the harsh action of abrasives, represented by the liquid cleansers of Clark et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,527, Tse et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,016, Castro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,005, all of which disclose the use of softer abrasives, such as those having a Mohs hardness of less than about 4. Castro, in particular, discloses the use of a discrete amount of unspecified borax as a rheology modifying ingredient in a liquid cleanser.
Somewhat more recently, the use of particulate materials which are partially in solution and partially undissolved, has been attempted as a means of providing abrasive action. WO 91/08282 and EP 0 193 375 disclose the use of preferably sodium bicarbonate, in amounts of up to 45% and in excess thereof, respectively, as such water soluble abrasive. Both references mention the potential use of borax decahydrate, only.
Concentrated liquid detergents are also proposed in which materials which act as electrolytes, including unspecified borates, have also been proposed. These concentrated liquids, also called "structured liquids," however, contain very high amounts of surfactants which must be diluted in usage, thereby obviating any potential abrasive effect. Examples of these include Haslop et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,446, and van de Pas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,780.
Borax, or, more accurately, disodium tetraborate, has been also used as cleaning agent in cleaners. For example, a carpet cleaning solution incorporating surfactant, sodium borate and an aromatic petroleum solvent was disclosed in Merryman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,892.
However, it has not been heretofore disclosed, taught, or suggested, that one can formulate an improved surface safe, aqueous, liquid hard surface cleaner comprising a nonionic surfactant, or combination of nonionic and anionic surfactants, and use, as the water soluble abrasive, borax pentahydrate.